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Club seeks room to grow

Boys & Girls Club in Dunnellon wants permanent home at park

HARRIET DANIELSStaff Writer

Published: Thursday, May 11, 2006 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, May 11, 2006 at 12:00 a.m.

DUNNELLON - It's all about location for the Dunnellon branch of the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, which has moved to three different sites since starting in the area three years ago.
The club is hopeful the city of Dunnellon will accept a proposal to establish a more permanent branch facility on property in the Ernie Mills Park near the center of town. The issue is expected to be on the Dunnellon City Council agenda on May 22.
Jerry Lane, director of the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, said the plan has been in the works for about two months. Lane said if they get the go ahead, a modular building will be transported to the site for educational activities while utilizing park infrastructure for athletics and other programs.
"We serve about 30 to 50 kids in the summer in Dunnellon and about 75 to 80 on a regular basis during the year," Lane said.The club started with afterschool programs at Dunnellon Middle School before outgrowing the allotted space. Currently, the club is using a small room at Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, the second church to open its doors to the Boys & Girls Club in recent years. But again, the club needs to find larger digs.
"The area at Ernie Mills Park is our first choice because of the infrastructure that is there and we would be able to run our programs," Lane said. "We've been low key about the plan to make sure everything is in place."
According to Dunnellon Community Development Director Diana Murack, the city is awaiting the completion of a land survey to determine the exact location of the modular building before the proposal moves on to city council.
The park straddles Bostick Street, near the intersection of Williams Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. It includes a basketball court, playground equipment, picnic tables and a bandstand. The city does not offer a structured recreational program in the park.
"It's a logical area to have the kids," Murack said.
Hopeful to help the Boys & Girls Club make the transition to a new location is the Homosassa-based event planning firm, Team Spirit, that is coordinating a ballooning event on May 20-21 and donating a portion of the proceeds to the club.
Carol Lee Wallis, of Team Spirit, said they learned of the club's plight to find space large enough during the three years of planning the event. The gate proceeds from the event will be split between the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, Dunnellon Chamber of Commerce and Dunnellon Main Street, Inc. Wallis expects the two-day event to attract between 10,000 and 15,000 people. The weekend will include a VIP wine tasting and auction with proceeds going directly to the Boys & Girls Club.
"We wanted to do this for a worthy cause like the Boys & Girls Club," Wallis said. "When my children were young they went to the Boys & Girls Club, and I did a lot of teaching there and fell in love with the program. I saw the impact the program made on the children."
Wallis said since this is the first year of the event, it's hard to predict how much will be raised.
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Harriet Daniels may be reached at harriet.daniels@starbanner.com or (352) 867-4125.

DUNNELLON - It's all about location for the Dunnellon branch of the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, which has moved to three different sites since starting in the area three years ago.<BR>
The club is hopeful the city of Dunnellon will accept a proposal to establish a more permanent branch facility on property in the Ernie Mills Park near the center of town. The issue is expected to be on the Dunnellon City Council agenda on May 22.<BR>
Jerry Lane, director of the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, said the plan has been in the works for about two months. Lane said if they get the go ahead, a modular building will be transported to the site for educational activities while utilizing park infrastructure for athletics and other programs.<BR>
"We serve about 30 to 50 kids in the summer in Dunnellon and about 75 to 80 on a regular basis during the year," Lane said.<BR>The club started with afterschool programs at Dunnellon Middle School before outgrowing the allotted space. Currently, the club is using a small room at Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, the second church to open its doors to the Boys & Girls Club in recent years. But again, the club needs to find larger digs.<BR>
"The area at Ernie Mills Park is our first choice because of the infrastructure that is there and we would be able to run our programs," Lane said. "We've been low key about the plan to make sure everything is in place."<BR>
According to Dunnellon Community Development Director Diana Murack, the city is awaiting the completion of a land survey to determine the exact location of the modular building before the proposal moves on to city council.<BR>
The park straddles Bostick Street, near the intersection of Williams Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. It includes a basketball court, playground equipment, picnic tables and a bandstand. The city does not offer a structured recreational program in the park.<BR>
"It's a logical area to have the kids," Murack said.<BR>
Hopeful to help the Boys & Girls Club make the transition to a new location is the Homosassa-based event planning firm, Team Spirit, that is coordinating a ballooning event on May 20-21 and donating a portion of the proceeds to the club.<BR>
Carol Lee Wallis, of Team Spirit, said they learned of the club's plight to find space large enough during the three years of planning the event. The gate proceeds from the event will be split between the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, Dunnellon Chamber of Commerce and Dunnellon Main Street, Inc. Wallis expects the two-day event to attract between 10,000 and 15,000 people. The weekend will include a VIP wine tasting and auction with proceeds going directly to the Boys & Girls Club.<BR>
"We wanted to do this for a worthy cause like the Boys & Girls Club," Wallis said. "When my children were young they went to the Boys & Girls Club, and I did a lot of teaching there and fell in love with the program. I saw the impact the program made on the children."<BR>
Wallis said since this is the first year of the event, it's hard to predict how much will be raised.<BR>
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<I>Harriet Daniels may be reached at harriet.daniels@starbanner.com or (352) 867-4125.</i>